Of chicago



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

c. W. RASMUSEN. i CABLE RAILWAY APPARATUS.

Patented Deo. 2,5, 1883.

(N0 Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. W. RASMUSEN. CABLE RAILWAY APPARATUS.

.l., O lll O m hs...

N. PErERs, Pmwulhagmpher. wzmmgm". D. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

C. W. RASMUSEN. CABLE RAILWAY APPARATUS.

- (Lf/bes@ est N, PETERS. Pimn-Linhognplwx-v Nn-ningun, DAC,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

C. W. RASMUSEN. CABLE RALWAY APPARATUS.

.Patented Dee. 25, 1883.

"ii-,"Nirno SrATns'r CHARLES V. RASMUSEN, OF "ILLINOIS y' CABLE-RAILwAY-APPARATUS."

L' 'QLPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent `No. 290,707, dated lDecember 25, 1883.

` 4 Application nid'Aprn 23,1883. (no model.)

. To all whom t 71mg/ concern 4 j Be it known that I, CHARLnsW. R/isirusniv,

a citizen of `theUnited States, residingat Ghicago, in the lcounty of Cook andState of Illi-` nois, have invented certain new and useful Im-` provements in Gable-Railway Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My presentinvention has relation to the improvement of cable-railway apparatus, and in particular does it relate to the improvement of apparatus of the character set out in Letters Patent granted to me ou the 31st day of Octo-y.l ber, 1882, and numbered 266,645, and inan application for Letters Patent filed by me on the 29th day of March,.1883. In such former patent and application the attachment of a car to a constantly-moving traction-cable was effected by means of arms projecting from the car and adapted to connect with trucks placed `at intervals along the cable. `These projecting arms were carried by an endless band or chain supported upon sprocket-drums, the movement of which was controlled by means of frictionfclutchcs operated fromV the winding-posts at the ends of the car, so that when the drums were locked the endless band was arrestedv with one of its arms in the slot of the cable-tube in position to be caught by atruck of the moving cable, and when the drums were.

free to turn the projecting arms were moved freely by the cable-trucks `without effecting the propulsion of the car. i In the-.present case the mechanism for connecting kthe car to the traction-cable is in the main the same as that above referred to; but the endless chain carrying the projecting armsis made laterally ilexible, and the guide mechanism and ythe drums for said chain are made laterally movable, the purposes of such construction being to insure the accurate movement of the projecting arms into and out ofthe slot of the cable-tube when the car is ,stopped upon a curve of the roadway. In my present inven-. tion, also, the construction ofthe mechanism for clamping the cable-supporting trucks to the traction-cable is such that the cable will be free to twist without affecting the trucks or causing thetruck-wheels to bind upon vthe rails of the cable-tube. y

, A further obj ectof this invention istopro- Vvide an improved arrangement of tracks and 1 view of the clamp.

of the cable-tubes at intersecting roads.

sect, landto so locate the slot of the cable-tube at curves of the roadway asto avoidfdanger of breaking the arm projecting from the car.-

l A The several objects of my. invention I have jaccomplished by themechanism hereinafter ffully` described, illustrated in the accompany-` `iing drawings, andv particularly dened in the claims at the end of this specification.

". Figurel is a plan view, partly in section, the car-body and upperguide mechanism ,beingremoved. Fig. 2 is a view in verti 4calelongitudinal section, parts being ,shown 4in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in `sidevelevation, of the castings upon the side lgoflthe sliding hub. Figs. 4 and are detail fviews of the projectingarms for connection lwith the cable.

Fig. 6 is a detail view in side elevation. Fig. 7 is a plauview, partly in projecting arms. :Fig 8 is a view intransverse section of the upper guide, showing the endless chain thereon... Fig. 9 is a plan view,

and Fig. 10 a longitudinal sectional view, ofthe Q upper guide. Fig. 1l is a view in transverse sec `tion of the lower guide. Fig. 12 is a plan view,-

Fig..13 a side view, and Fig. 14 a bottom view, of the lower guide. Fig. 15 isa detail perspective view of a portion of the upper guide and its .forward extensions. Fig. 16 is `a view ,in longitudinal section of the mechan-` Fig. 21 is a detail view, showing `the inner surface of the clamping-sleeve. Fig.. 22 is a central vertical section, showing the arrangement Figs. 23 and 24 aredetail views in vertical section, showing the connection of the main and supplemental cable-tuloes. j Fig. 25 is a plan view 7 of tracks and tubes of intersecting roads. Fig.

26 is a plan view, showing the position of the canupon a Acurve of the roadway. Fig. 27 is a detail view, showing ,a cable-tube having dirt-discharge `opening in the side thereof. i,

In the Vaccompanying drawings, A designates the body of the 'cable-car, from which depends v cable-tubes at points where cable-roads interi section, of the endless chain or band carrying IOO the hangers a, braced by the rods c', and perforated at their bottoms to receive the rods, around which fit the spiral springs a2, by which the car-body is sustained, and which rest upon the iianges b of the journal-box frames B. To these journal-box` frames are bolted the side bars, B', that extend between the journal-boxes on each side of the car, and also the extension-bars B2, which are curved inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and are braced by the cross-rod b and the side stays, b2, suitably bolted thereto. |The front ends of these extension-bars are connected together by the Y square, curved glide-bar C, around which is lttedin a manner free to slide laterally thereon the sleeve or hub D,that carries the drum E, over which passes the endless chain carrying the projecting arms, by which the car is, connected with the traction-cable. The hub D is preferably formed of two half-sections somewhat reduced at their ends, aroundwhich are bolted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thecastings Fand F,that have formed integral therewith, respectively, the arms F3' Fi.

Upon the central portion of the hub D, between the castings F and F', is held the sprocket-drum E, the construction of which may be similar to that described in my patent above referred to.k This drum has a portion for the passage of the endless chain H, provided with the projecting arms h, hinged thereto,as shown, and a portion, G, constituting the frictionhub, over which passes the friction-strap I, one end of which is connected to the link fi, and the action of which is controlled bymeans of the elbow-lever i', the rod i2, the mainlever K, the rods k,and the winding-post K', in the manner fully set forth in my above-mentioned' patent and prior application.

The flanged ends f of the arms F3 are bolted to the plate L, upon which rests the standard Z, that supports the elbow-lever i', and by this plate is also sustained the end of the lower guide, M, which is slotted upon "its under side, as shown in Figs. 11 and 19, to permit the passage of the projecting arms of the endless chain. The outer portions of this lowergu'ide are formed of the tubular sections m, the ends of which are suitably cut to form a concavoconvex joint, and are connected together by means of the top plate, m', which is riveted, as shown, to one section, and ispivotally connected by the bolt m2 to the adjoining section.V To the under side of the ends of the tubular sections m, and upon each side of the slot, at a slight distance therefrom, are attached the plates m3, riveted to the end of one section, and resting beneath and supporting the end of the adjoining section. To the central. section of the lower guide, M, is connected the sustaining-rod M', which is bolted. to the side bars, B', of the main sustaining-frame. Upon this central section is held the bracket Mito whichV is pivotally connected the main lever K, which. as Vin my former patent, serves, by means of -the rods k2 to operate brake-beams K2, and by means of the rod i2, to control the frictionclutch, andfis itself operated by the rods and chains extending to the winding-posts at the ends of the car.

To the bracket-shaped ends f' of the casting F is connected, as shown in the detail view,

Fig. 15,the rear ends ofthe front curved guide,

the top plate, N, of which is formed integral with the top plate of the main upper guide, while the bottom plate, N', terminates at a short distance beyond the drum E. The plates N and N' are curved downwardly and inwardly to a point near the cable-tube, and are connected near their lower ends to the guidearms Ft, which extend from each side of the castings F', and are curved to carry the springseated guide-wheel f6 and the guide-bladefl. The blade f7 enters the slot of the cable-tube, and is especially advantageous in clearing the slot from dirt or snow and in opening any switches in the road. As shownin Fig. l, the blade fl is carried by its hub f8, bolted to the ends of the guide-arms Ft. The top and bottom plates, N and N', of the upper guide are formed of sectional plates, connected together on one side by the bent plates N2, Fig. 15, and the abutting ends of these top and bottom plates are cut to forni the concavo-convex joint, and are held together by means of the hinge-plates N3, bolted to the top and bottom platesoi one section, and pivotally connected by bolts n to the plates of the adj oining section. By this construction, as will be seen, a lateral movement of the upper guide can be had.

To one edge of the bottom plate, N', is bolted the angle-plate N4, to prevent displacement of the endless chain, and above this angle-plate is left the space for the passage of the projecting arms as they travel through the guide. The upper guide is sustained from the main supporting-frame by means of the braces N bolted to the bottom plate, N', and to the side bars, B', and the extension-bars B2. l

The endless chain or band H, that passes through the upper and lower guides and over the sprocket-drums at each end of the car, consists, preferably, of flat links, the ends of which are joined together in such manner as to permit lateral flexure of the chain. In the hinge-joint shown in detail, Fig. 7, the knuckles h' and h2 are respectively convex and concave, and the perforations through the knuckles 7L' are enlarged to permit them to turn slightl yin lateral direction upon the pins h3, which pass through the knuckles h2, and carry the friction-rollers h* keyed thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the sprocket drum or pulley that carries the endless chain will be moved to one side as the car traverses the curve by the guide-blade and wheel that follow the curve of theslot in the cable-tube, and are connected to the drum. At the same time the upper and lower laterally-flexible guides will be bent, as will also the endless chainpassing through these guides and over the drum.

The operation of the friction-clutch to con- IOO ' through the flanges o2.

trol the starting and stopping of the car is the same as .that set out in `my former patent.

Itis apparent that the car ycan `be readily stopped upon a curve, as the above-described arrangement of laterally movable guides, drums, and chain insure the accurate `movement of the projecting arms h into and from the slot of the cable-tube. It will be noticed that `the edges of the projecting arms h are concaved, the purpose of this being to enable them to connect more securely with the cabletrucks, and the ends of these arms are rounded or pointed, so as to avoid all danger-as, for example, when the car `is passing onto a curve-of the trucks striking the ends of the arms, and thus cause breakage of parts or displacement of the car. v

In Figs. 16 to 21 of the drawings is illustrated the improved construction of clamp mechanism for attaching the trucks to the traction-cable. The sleeve O, formed preferably of sections bolted together, as at o, has its interior surface provided with spiral ridges o', adapted to fit within the spaces on the surface of the cable'between the separate strands or ropes, and thus retain the sleeve more securely in place. l The central portion of the periphery of this sleeve is recessed, as shown, and within this recess fits loosely enough to turn the clamp O, formed of two sections held securely together by means of the bolts passing One of these flanges carries the sleeve o3, through which passes the axle of the truck-wheels O2. From this construction it will be seen that, the cable being free to turn withinthe clamp, any twisting of the cable cannot affect the trucks or cause the wheels to bind upon the rails.

When the car is traversing a curve, the center of the car is not at a point exactly above the center of the track, as is shown by Fig. 26 of the drawings. In traversing a curve the arm connecting the car with the traction-cable is located below the car center, and to avoid strain upon such arm I have arranged the slot of the cable-tube, at curves of the roadway, at a slight distance out of center. line and nearer the inner rail, so that the slot shall always be exactly beneath the projecting arm as the car traverses the curve.

In order to permit cable-railways running in different directions to cross each other, I have provided the improved arrangement of cable-tubes illustrated in Figs 22 to 25 of the drawings. I n these figures, I designates the track of a road, and P the track of the intersecting road, both these tracks being laid in the usual manner, and being slotted at lo to permit the passage of the arm projecting from the car. The main cable-tubes R and S of the tracks are depressed, and above these tubes, and upon a levelwith the road-bed, are placed the supplemental or false tubes R and S, having slots, through which the arm projecting from the car may pass until it again enters the main cable-tube and is caught by a truck. The supplemental tube R rests upon and is bolted to the main tube R,which is but slightly depressed, and this supplemental tube is slotted, as at r, to allow the passage ofthe projecting arm ofthe car traversing the cross-track. The supplemental tubes R and S are joined to the main tubes R and Sat the beginning of their depressions, as shown in Figs. 23 and 24, so that as aproj ecting arm leaves the main tube it will enter the slot of the supplemental tube, and be guided thereby. The main tube S, at the lowest part of its depression, is slotted in the top and provided with the enlargement S2, the purpose of this construction being to allow free movement of the cable, as seen in Fig. 22, without danger of friction against the top of the tube. By this improved arrangement of cable-tubes the cars can cross iutersecting tracks without the necessity of turning to one side the projecting arm, as described in my former patent. v

In Fig. 27 is illustrated au improved arrangem ent of dirt-discharge opening for the cable-tubes. The bottom plate, T, ofthe tube is depressed, as shown, in such manner as to form the passages t in the side of the tube leading to suitable discharge-conduit. `I prefer to thus form the discharge-opening in the side of the tube, instead of in the bottom, in order to avoid any dangerof breaking the trucks by inserting any object-as, for example` ametal barthrough the slot of the tube and into the discharge-opening, which would be possible were such opening in the bottom.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with an endless chain or band carrying proj ecting arms for connection with the cable, 0f a laterally-movable drum for supporting said chain or band, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a cable-railway car, of an endless chain or band carrying projecting arms for connection with the cable, drums or pulleys for carrying said chain orband, and a frame for supporting said drums or pulleys, and-on .which they are mounted in a manner permitting lateral movement, substantially as described.

3. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the j ournal-box frames, of the front extensions, B2, the glide-bar, and the drum movably supported upon said glide-bar, substantially as described.

4. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the forward extensions, B2, of the glidebar, the hub mounted on said glide-bar, the drum for supporting the chain carrying proj ecting arms, the castings F and F', the arms F4, and the guide-roller, substantially as described.

5. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the projecting arms for connection with the cable, of a laterally-flexible chain or band for supporting said arms, substantially as described.

6. In a cable-railway car, the combination,

IOO

IIO

With projecting arms, of the chain or band, consisting of flat links connected together by laterally-flexible joints, substantially as described.

7. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the endless chain or band, of projecting arms having inclined ends, substantially as described.

8. In a cable-railway car, the combination, With the endless chain or band, of projecting arms having concaved faces, substantially as described.

9. In a cable-railway car, the combination, With the chain or band carrying projecting arms, of laterally-iiexible guide mechanism for said chain or band, substantially as described.

10. In a cable-railway car, the combination, -With the laterally-iiexible band or chain and the laterallymovable drum, of the upper guide connected to said drum and formed of sections joined together, substantially as described.

11. In a cable-railway car, the combination,

rying projecting arms, of the upper guide therefor, formed of sections having top and bottom plates connected together at one side and hinged together at their ends, substantially as described.

12. In a cable-railway car, the combination, With the laterally-iiexible band or chain carrying projecting arms, of the lower guide, formed of sections hinged together, and the laterally-movable drum, with which said loWer guide is connected, substantially as described.

13. In a cable-railway carfthe combination, With the laterally-nexible chain or band carrying projecting arms, of the laterally-exible guide mechanism and the laterally-movable drums or pulleys for supporting the chain or band, substantially as described.

14:. In a cable-railway car, the combination, With thelaterally-movable drum, of the guideroller adapted .to enter the slot of the cabletube, and means for connecting the roller to the movable drum, substantially as described.

15. In a cable-railway car, the combination, With the guide-arms, of the guide-blade adapted to enter the slot of the cable-tube, substantially as described.

16. The clamping mechanism for attaching stops or trucks to a traction-cable, having a portion fixed securely upon the cable, and having a portion adapted to carry the stop or truck held in a manner free to turn, substantially as described.

17. In cable-railway apparatus, the combination, with a traction-cable, of the sleeve having recessed central portion, the clamp held loosely upon said central portion, and the stop or truck for supporting the cable, substantially as described.

18. In cable-railway apparatus, the combi. nation, with the curved rails, of the slotted cable-tube located between the rails and slightly nearer the inner rail of the curve, substantially as described.

19. In cable-railway apparatus, the combination, with intersecting tracks, of the intersecting` cable-tubes, both of which are depressed, substantially as described.

20. In cable-railway apparatus, the combination, With the intersecting tracks, of the intersecting cable-tubes, both of which are depressed, and supplemental tubes upon the level of the road-bed, substantially as described.

21. In cable-railway apparatus, the combination, With the track, of a curved cable-tube having an enlarged portion for the passage of the cable Without interference with the tube, substantially as described.

22. A tube for traction-cables, having a dirtdischarge opening in its side, substantially as described.

23. A tube for traction-cables, having a depressed bottom, and having a dirt-discharge opening in its side, substantially as described.

CHARLES W. RASMUSEN.

XVitnesses: v

GEO. P. FISHER, JR., J. O. MORRIS. 

